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NINA JONES 
HER BOOK 



NINAJONES 



PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY 
SAN FRANCISCO 



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Copyright, 1916 
By Paul Elder and Company 
San Francisco 






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TO 
MY FATHER 

Take this — my book 
A poor offering 
For so much kindness, 
But my all. I bring 
And lay it in your hand 
Today. 



Contents 

PAGE 

A Song of Little Things 3 

"Missie" 5 

To Mrs. Carrington 7 

Winds that Blow 9 

Loneliness 11 

The Ships That Pass In the Night . . . . , 13 

y(//^r "Oh! That We Two Were Maying!" . . 15 

My Mother's Eyes 17 

The War 19 

The Days we Played 21 

Silence 23 

The Dreamer 25 

Consolation 27 

Heart OF THE Winds That Cross the Hill ... 29 

Death 31 

Inconstancy ^3 

A Prayer 35 

FleurdeLis 37 

KatHERINE — February 23, 1916 '39 

A Lullaby . 41 

We Chased THE Butterflies OF Dreams ... 43 

Distance 45 

Awakening » 47 

Somewhere Out OF THE Darkness Sweet ... 49 

Something OF Childhood 51 

The Waves That Washed Away THE Sand • • - 53 

[v] 



NINA JONES 
HER BOOK 



A Song of Little Things 

niTTLE birds upon the wing 
Flying off together, 
Bursting little hearts to sing 
Of the golden weather. 
Little birds upon the wing! 

Little sails out on the sea. 
Gulls and sails aflying, 
In the winds of Destiny 
Each the other vieing. 
Little sails out on the sea! 

Little stars up in the sky, 
Heaven's lamps ashining. 
Do you ever wonder why, 
Are you never pining 
For the birds and sails that fly? 
Little stars up in the sky! 



[3] 



"Missie' 



c 



HE NAME you had for me, 

(You called it yesterday) 
As blossoms of rosemary, 



The little name "Missie." 
It fell so light and gay, 
The name you had for me. 

Did it guide you happily 
Back, or will you say? 
As blossoms of rosemary! 

Little name that was the key 

To the springtimes early May, 
The name you had for me. 

Sweet and dear eternally, 

Smiling at the sun loved day, 
As blossoms of rosemary. 

Who shall take this name from me? 
When my hair is turning grey! 
No. — It shall be April's fee 
As blossoms of rosemary. 

[s 



To Mrs. Carrington 



e 



'o, SONNET, tell her that I miss 
The little touch upon the waiting hand; 
The ever ready words, "I understand;" 
Her kindly thought; the imprint of her kiss. 
And whisper how her words did much impress, 
As a seer's finger writing on the desert sand. 
This life of mine; how she ambition fanned 
Until it was a flame of lovliness. 

She may, within her dear heart's warmer clime, 
Send me a word, as the swift passing ship 
Takes brief a second from its glass of time, 
To signal the small shallop's toss and dip. 
I pause o'er — I remember we are friends 
Even to the world's eternal sunset ends. 



[7 



Winds That Blow 

^W^iNDS that blow the roses sweet 
I I ^ Over the walls of the garden, 
VM^ Out into the dusty street 
And never ask a pardon. 
Do you never wonder where 
The ashes of those roses go, 
Or is it you do not care? 
Winds that blow! 



[9 



Loneliness 

I THINK of you the whole day through. 
My thoughts, they voyage swift and 
speed 
Upon the winds across the mead. 
The winds that sing the song of you! 

I watch alone, the stars that gleam 
Their vagrant way across the sky. 
I know a little bird will fly 
One day to you as in a dream. 

And you will come, hearing my call, 
So silently upon the sand. 
I will reach out and clasp your hand, 
Remembering and forgiving all. 

By permission 

The International Magazine 



["1 



The Ships That Pass in the Night 

^^^:^HE SHIPS that pass in the night, 

£ J Through the silvering grey of the sea, 

^^1^/ Are ever a welcome delight. 

The ships that pass in the night 

May hold a dream's swift flight; 

Some fair dream for you or me. 

The ships that pass in the night 

Through the silvering grey of the sea! 



13 



After "Oh! That We Two Were 

Maying" 

OH ! THAT we two were sailing 
Down the breast of the distant stream. 
Like little white drifts playing 
In the shade of the river's dream. 
Oh! that we two sat, dear one. 
On the banks of the golden rod, 
Watching the twilight beckon 
O'er the clouds that reach to God. 
Oh! that we two lay sleeping 
In our haven beneath the sea, 
With our hearts in Love's safe keeping 
And our souls in Eternity. 



[15 




My Mother's Eyes 

'he has blue eyes, that smile 
And hold the depth of angels* tears; 
That shine through stars, the while 

Gazing backward at the years. 

They are so true, these lovely eyes, 

And ever gaze a new sweet thought 

But who would not surmise 

She has blue eyes 1 



[17] 



The War 



T 



^T CRASHED upon the world its mighty woe> 
And tore its bloody path through many 
hearts — 
A thing malign that is all nations* foe, 
War! the destroying hand of all the arts. 
It turns Time back to dreaded savage parts. 
The wreaking knife of murder's gory force. 
It hurls the best in man into its carts 
Of carnage, ravage; heedless of remorse 
That comes too late with Death's unflinching 
course. 



19 



The Days We Played 

'^^^s:^HE DAYS we played in the shimmering sea 
§ ^ J Andyoursongwaslightonthequietair, — 
^^^^ Happy the hours and happier we, 
Without a sorrow and with a laugh for care! 
Now was there ever so merry a pair 
Dancing in sunshine beneath the lea? 
The days we played in the shimmering sea 
And your. song was light on the quiet air! 
The salt shone diadem-like in your hair, 
We can not say love was not there, 
But in the Autumn he set himself free. 
The days we played in the shimmering sea 
And your song was li^ht on the quiet air. 



[21 




Silence 

'iLENCE is the lull that follows gales at sea, 
The pause before the voice of lovers' 
speech, 

The stillness of the grey dawn's mystery. 
The aftermath of twilight on the beach. 
It is God given within human reach. 

It is found in emotion's greatest hour, 
A thing too subtle for expression's form. 
It dwells in the heart of a forest flower 
And sails like a light cloud before the storm. 
Unseen, unheard, but with insistent power. 



23 



The Dreamer 

OREAM that my dwelling is within your 
heart, 
Imagine that my visioning is your 
own. 
Look up and see me laughing down the path 
Of memories, — together we have sown. 

Suppose that life were a meadow green. 
The years the field flowers that blow, 

And through the tall grasses hand in hand 
Singing, like happy children we go. 

Oh say that, "The sad road is covered," 
That," The dogwood's abloom in the Spring. 

And once more we shall sit in the twilight 
With silence remembering! 



25 



Consolation 

HIE still! 
No ill 
Can come to you. 
Asleep 
So deep 

And fathomless 
Is death. 
No breath, 
An end of pain. 
I call, 
Tis all 

My sad heart knows. 
Silent, 
Intent, 

Upon your slumber. 
But near 
I hear 

Your spirit speak, 
In dreams, 
It seems. 



27 



Heart of the Winds That Cross 
THE Hill 

''Jp^^EART of the winds that cross the hill 
If ■ And come with the sweet of the hay,- 
^ -^C Through my curtained window sill; 
Heart of the winds that cross the hill. 
Bringing a breath of the ocean's chill. 
And cooling the summer's day; 
Heart of the winds that cross the hill 
And come with the sweet of the hay ! 



29} 



Death 

^^^^HE TEARS rained from the sky 

m C\ Oh stormy weeping. 

%^ V The sun hung sadly behind a cloud 

For you were sleeping 

In that last unwakeful rest. 

The world was grey. 

Even the green almond swayed in sorrow, 

The old priest came to pray 

And I beside your still form stood 

Turned fast to stone; 

Then through the rainbow that swiftly 

swayed above 
I saw your face — alone ! 

By permission 

The International Magazine 



[31: 



Inconstancy 

I LOVE the world! 
I love you. — 
I could not be true 
To just you, 
So I love the world 
Including you. 



33 



A Prayer 

OH LET our prayers come unto Thee 
' And listen in Thy greater heart. 
To the torn world eternally 
Oh let our prayers come unto Thee! 
Until from sin our souls are free 
And we have done our given part, 
Oh let our prayers come unto Thee 
And listen in Thy greater heart. 



35 




Fleurde Lis 

E SPRING to color o*er the hills of France, 
In glory purpling the martial fields, 
And waving pinions of fair romance, 

In winds that sing of battle and of chance. 

And ye art blazoned even on their shields ! 

Ye grow in the damp of the trenches' mire, 
In the hot passion of war's wretched cause, 
And give thy fresh bloom to the cannon's fire, 
(Too frail to burn on a funeral pyre — ). 
Oh what care ye for this world's mock applause! 

Ye die on stems made green by April's tears, 
On youthful graves ye thrive to bloom anew. 
Thou art the ghosts of a hundred buried years. 
Of other lily flowers that here grew. 
Returned to face the horror and the fears! 



37 



Katherine 

February 23, 1916 

^Tf^ON*T YOU say she's sleeping, sleeping, 
J I J Resting peacefully today ? 
VJL^ Won't you see the angels keeping 
Watch above her lovely clay? 

Does your heart stop still and listen 
For her footfall on the stair? 
Do you close wet eyes that glisten 
With the sad tears always there? 

Won't you think her sleeping, sleeping. 
In that home below the hill. 
With the cool green ivy creeping 
Over door and window sill ? 

Oh, poor lonely heart a' aching. 
Give her tears and violets white, 
Only know that she is waking 
Out of darkness into Light. 



1 39 




A Lullaby 

LEEP in these happy arms — my pet, 
Dream that the fluted notes of Pan 
Are dancing o'er your coverlet, 

And baby stars are looking down 

Upon you, child, and even yet 

Are dancing o'er your coverlet. 

Rest through the quiet night, — my sweet, 
Know that God is looking down. 
Guiding to Dreamland your little feet. 
And sweet thoughts linger o'er your bed, 
While mother's prayers with them meet 
Guiding to Dreamland your little feet. 



41] 



We Chased the Butterflies of 
Dreams 

®E CHASED the butterflies of dreams 
Into the fields of yesterday, 
And caught one mid the moonlight 
beams. 
We chased the butterflies of dreams, — 
That danced beside the shady streams. 
They lingered, — but to fly away. 
We chased the butterflies of dreams 
Into the fields of yesterday! 



[43] 



Distance 

I LOVED you, dear, — 
I never told you so. 
I pressed your lips, — 
You did not dream or know. 
I called your name, 
You could not hear so far, 
For Fm the ingenue — You — the star! 

By permission 

The Theatre Magazine 



[45) 



Awakening 

I KNEW it not for love 
When first you touched my hand. 
The trembling of my heart 
I did not understand. 

I knew it not for love 
When first you kissed me, dear, — 
And yet it seemed not strange 
That you should be so near. 

I knew it not for love 
Until you went away, — 
Then came the wild desire 
For you and yesterday. 



47] 



Somewhere Out of the Darkness 
Sweet 

'oMEWHERE out of the darkness sweet, 
The darkness of the narrow grave, 

I hear the soft tread of your feet. 

Somewhere out of the darkness sweet, — 
Or is it but a mere conceit 
Of longing that the spirit gave ? — 
Somewhere out of the darkness sweet. 
The darkness of the narrow grave! 




49 



Something of Childhood 

I HAVE this with me always 
The love of little things,— 
A torn book from my childhood, 
A worn out doll that clings 
Around memory, that lingers 
And in the tree top sings. 

I have not yet forgotten 

The toy house on the lawn, 
The wee and shabby furniture 

Quite rickety and torn, 
I close my eyes and wonder — — ■— 

Where has my childhood gone ? 

I think sometime Til find it 

Beside a shaded brook, 
With johnny-jump-ups on its bank 

Like in a story book 

The little girl I used to know 

With childhood's wondering look. 



51] 



The Waves That Washed Away 
THE Sand 

CHE WAVES that washed away the sand 
Swept our two names into the sea 
They acted as a fairy wand. 
The waves that washed away the sand, 
Left nothing that we two had planned, 
But set our hearts and summer free. 
The waves that washed away the sand 
Swept our two names into the sea. 



[53 



Here Ends the Book of Nina Jones Pub- 
lished BY Paul Elder and Company, and 
Seen Through Their Tomoye Press 
Under the Typographical Direction of 
Herman A. Funke, in San Francisco, 
During the Month of September, 
Nineteen Hundred and Sixteen 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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016 235 321 4 



